After learning that my rank was now incredibly high due to Lieutenant Colonel Renvel's bad habit…
"…Ah, so Touri is a Warrant Officer, right?"
"Yes, it seems so."
Sergeant Gavel's attitude changed completely and he began using polite language, though it feels like he's unfamiliar with it.
Our roles reversed from just a moment ago, creating an awkward atmosphere.
"Uh, this way leads to the medical department."
"Thank you, Sergeant Gavel."
The medical department is set up on a plain near the headquarters. There are many familiar white military tents lined up.
"Ah. Warrant Officer Touri is quite favored by, um, Major Verdi, aren't you?"
"It's an honor to say this, but Major Verdi has been looking out for me since I was a rookie."
"That is enviable…"
Sergeant Gavel's face at this moment looked slightly unconvinced.
…Perhaps it was jealousy.
"Here we are, the medical department. Well, I'll take my leave."
"Understood. Thank you for guiding me, Sergeant Gavel."
Sergeant Gavel gave a brief salute and quickly left. I might need to follow up with him later.
"…"
The medical department tents I hadn't seen in a while looked exactly like they did on the Western Front.
Medics with blood-stained uniforms were rushing around, and soldiers groaning in pain were lying on mats.
The pungent smell of disinfectant, the scent of lush soil, mixed with the stench of rotting blood and flesh.
I once again realized I was back on the battlefield.
"Chief Medical Sergeant Dollman is currently in an important meeting. Could you please wait a moment?"
"Yes."
I was guided to a small tent after telling a nearby person my rank and requesting to see Mr. Dollman.
Inside the tent, there were old OST-1 rifles scattered on the floor and several medals on display.
Is this Mr. Dollman's tent?
"So Mr. Dollman has been promoted to Chief Medical Sergeant?"
"Yes."
Mr. Dollman had been promoted to Chief Medical Sergeant.
If things had remained as they were before, Mr. Dollman would have been Deputy Director, second only to Reitalyu.
"Um, who is the current head of the health department?"
"This would be Lieutenant Reitalyu."
"Thank you, I understand."
Reitalyu is still the head of the medical department.
I think she used to be a Medical Warrant Officer, but it looks like she's now a Second Lieutenant.
"Well then, please wait a moment, Warrant Officer Touri."
"I understand"
Incidentally, the position of Head Medic is usually held by those at the rank of Second Lieutenant or First Lieutenant. Head Medic Gale was a Second Lieutenant.
With that precedent, Reitalyu was promoted to Second Lieutenant last year.
Medical department personnel don't really celebrate promotions.
When their rank increases, the amount of paperwork increases drastically, and their freedom decreases.
Reitalyu, who loves men, was said to be disheartened upon hearing of her promotion.
"Chief Medical Sergeant Dollman will be back in a few minutes."
"Understood."
I wonder how Mr. Dollman will react upon seeing me.
We only worked together for a couple of months.
I don't think he's forgotten about me, but I don't think he'll be so overwhelmed with emotion that he'll hug me.
It will probably be a calm, businesslike reunion.
***
"Touri!! You're alive!! I'm so happy!!"
"Guh."
I was hugged tightly in an emotional outburst.
"You've become so scarred! The Sabbath must have been harsh, but you survived well!"
"It's been a while, Reitalyu."
"I was so heartbroken when I heard you volunteered for the decoy unit!! Never do something like that again!"
After waiting for Mr. Dollman for several minutes:
Finally, a figure appeared at the entrance of the tent, and I thought it was Mr. Dollman, but a familiar, voluptuous figure barged in.
Currently, the number one in the health department is Reitalyu, who is rumored to be a very popular person.
"Oh, you've returned well."
"Chief Medical Sergeant Dollman, it's been a while."
"It's been a while since I've heard such an interesting story. I'm in awe that you survived that situation."
The person Mr. Dollman had been meeting with just a moment ago was Reitalyu.
When Reitalyu heard the report that I had survived, she was so excited that she came to see me.
"Touri. According to Major Verdi's documents, you are a higher rank than me, but I will continue to be in charge of the Central Medical Department."
"Yes, please do."
"I have been ordered to treat you as an ordinary medic as much as possible. …That should be better for you as well."
Despite my promotion, it seemed I would still be working under Mr. Dollman.
I was relieved that I wouldn't be assigned extra work.
"Please continue to guide me."
"Sure thing, Warrant Officer."
My rank was only inflated due to Lieutenant Colonel Renvel's bad habit.
I haven't done anything to become a distinguished medic.
I will continue to humbly learn from everyone in the medical department.
"Oh, and there's one more person I want you to meet."
"A person?"
"Hey, Takuma."
Mr. Dollman called out to someone outside the tent, and soon, a large bearded man with a gentle demeanor entered.
I knew that gentle, bear-like, charming man very well.
"Do you remember me, Little Hero?"
"Is that you, Mr. Kuma? It's been a while."
"Yes, it's been a while."
It was Takuma, a living legend from the Austin medical community who stayed in the city during the retreat from Marshdale and organized the medical department.
"I never thought I'd see you again. Why are you on the front line?"
"Well, I was called here for some trivial matter. I'm glad to see you healthy."
Mr. Kuma looked a little thinner than before.
He used to be a plump, well-built man, but now he just looks a little on the chubby side.
"The war will end soon. Please lend us your strength for a little longer."
"Of course, I will work to the bone."
It was surprising that the three prominent figures of the Austin Military Medical Department came to celebrate my survival.
It's an impressive gathering. Were these three discussing something important?
"Well, I have other people to talk to, so I'll take my leave."
"Yes, thank you for your time."
"Reitalyu, Dollman, take care of that matter."
"…Yes, I understand."
After shaking hands with me, Mr. Kuma left me with some cryptic words.
Mr. Dollman saw him off in silence, while Reitalyu waved goodbye.
Hmm…?
"Reitalyu, what's wrong?"
"Huh, me?"
"No, um, weren't you just glaring at the Mr. Kuma?"
"N-No, no way! What are you talking about, Touri!"
However, I couldn't help but notice that Reitalyu eyes looked a bit scary when she looked at the Mr. Kuma.
Is there some trouble?
"Geez, you're saying strange things. Should I just hug you?"
"Reitalyu, you should get back to your post soon. I need to introduce Touri to everyone."
"…Alright. See you later, Touri."
Although I was curious about Reitalyu's attitude, I had no intention of probing further.
I bowed on the spot and parted ways with Reitalyu.
***
"Hey, everyone, let me introduce the new medic. Many of you might recognize her… Hey, greet them properly."
"Hello everyone. It's been a while. I am Medical Warrant Officer Touri Lowe."
When I entered the field hospital tent, it was as chaotic as ever.
Patients on the brink of death were lined up, and intensive care was being administered everywhere.
Very few were actaully paying attention to my introduction.
"A new medic, huh! How skilled are you? How many years of experience do you have?"
"I've been in the military for about two years now. I've used [Heal] seven times in a row."
"Not bad! Help out over here!"
A nearby medic immediately requested assistance, so after confirming with Mr. Dollman, I began the procedure right away.
I didn't recognize this medic; perhaps they were summoned after I left.
"I'm overwhelmed with throat treatments, so handle the abdominal sutures. The organs aren't too damaged, so just cut and clean the tears."
"…The intestines are ruptured."
"That's only a minor injury. Can't you handle it?"
"Yes, I can."
This brusque way of speaking brings back fond memories. Most people become irritable after staying up all night.
He must not have had much sleep.
"Your work is meticulous but slow! It's a race against time; finish it quickly, even if it's rough."
"Understood."
With things being like this from the start, I wonder when I'll get a chance to rest.
***
"Medical Warrant Officer?! That's quite a rank. What happened?"
"Well, to put it simply, it's through connections."
"You're an honest one."
After being immediately thrown into three back-to-back surgeries, I was told to greet the head of the ward.
It was right after a battle today, and there were many critically urgent patients.
"Don't worry about my rank. Just treat me as a junior medic."
"If you say so, I'll follow orders. After all, it's a superior's command."
"Right."
The role of the medical department in Austin is crucial.
With few troops, it's crucial that as many as possible return to the front lines.
For that reason, Lieutenant Colonel Renvel gathered healers from across the country and reorganized the medical department.
Thanks to this, the scale of the medical department has grown larger than when I last knew, and there are many new faces I don't recognize.
The medical department is returning to its scale from the Western Front era.
"There you are. Hey, Chief, a new recruit has arrived."
"Oh, newbie?"
It's a good thing that the scale of the medical department has grown, but I am a bit anxious about working among unfamiliar faces.
So, I requested to be assigned to Mr. Dollman's department.
The person in question was—
"…Eh, Little Boss?"
"Hello, it's been a while, Cale."
"Ah, hello…"
A familiar face from Marshdale, who had continued working with me in the medical department, my comrade Cale.
He's probably the comrade I've spent the longest time with since joining the military.
"Wait, what?!"
"Hello, Cale. I was assigned to this hospital as of today. It's been a while."
"Wait a minute, I can't keep up with this."
When I met Cale again after a long time, he had risen to the position of Ward Chief of the hospital.
After my (presumed) death in the line of duty, he took over the medical platoon and continued serving in the army.
It is said that he also accompanied the front line troops during the battles against Flamel, bravely helping his allies.
His achievements were so well-received that he was given the responsibility of tending to the hospital as head of the ward.
"Is this a hallucination? Am I dreaming? Did I drink too much elixir?"
"I'm real. Would you like to shake hands?"
"Ah, yes. …Is it really you?"
Cale was stunned for a moment when he saw me. He reacted as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Chief, you know her?"
"Yes, Cale and I have been comrades for a long time."
He was stunned, choked on his words and clasped his hands together.
After a few seconds of silently gazing at my face, he trembled and knelt, saying:
"I see… so you were alive, Little Boss…"
He mumbled that and began sobbing with a nasal whimper.
***
I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Cale during the Battle of the North.
Although he had lectured me not to treat my life lightly, I ignored him and volunteered for a decoy unit.
Cale must have felt betrayed.
"Cale, I'm sorry for my reckless actions and for wasting my life."
"No, I'm just glad you're alive, Little Boss… It's really not a dream, right?"
It must have been painful for him when I volunteered to be a decoy.
At that time, I chose to abandon my role as his superior and die alongside Rodri.
I feel like I did something quite terrible.
"Oh. So that means the "poor little female medic left to die' you use as a pick-up story was actually about you, Warrant Officer Touri?"
"Pick-up story? What are you talking about?"
"H-Hey, don't say unnecessary things!"
As I was apologizing to Cale, a curious story came out from the young medic's mouth.
What is this pick-up story?
"This guy always talks about you when he drinks. 'If I had had a little more courage, that earnest girl wouldn't have had to die…' and he acts all brooding to pick up women. He's pretty good at spinning the story, so the women end up feeling 'I'll comfort you.'"
"No, it's not for picking up women! I'm just venting my frustrations because it's still a scar in my heart!"
"But you've used it to get many women. To Cathy, to Berene, and, ah, was it Reitalyu too?"
"I'm not going to lay hands on that jinx! If I was hitting on other women, she would just barge in and take over without permission."
Is he not actually picking up women?
"That's not it. It's a misunderstanding, Little Boss! I genuinely didn't intend to use you as a means to get women! I swear to God!"
"Hmm. Well, I don't really care how you use me."
"I thought for sure it was just a story made up by the Chief, but it turns out it was real. According to the Chief, you volunteered as a decoy to chase after your lover and ended up losing your life."
Well, considering Cale's nature, it must have genuinely been a wound to his heart.
After all, he was concerned about being the only one to escape at Marshdale, so he volunteered to join my platoon, which was the advance force.
"Not because I was chasing my lover… He was my husband."
"Huh?"
"We were married just before he died. My last name has now changed and I go by the name Touri Lowe. Please take care of me again."
"Oh, I see. This might be an awkward way to put it, but I'm glad for you, Little Boss."
"Yes."
I won't be bothered by being a pick-up story.
It's not that I don't have any thoughts about it, but I know that Cale is a kind and reliable person.
"…Oh, was that story true?"
"Please stop talking about that in front of her; it's insensitive."
"Ah, sorry. I see, it wasn't just an exaggeration."
Cale's weakness with the opposite sex is part of who he is.
I once again realized that I had finally returned to the Austin Army's Medical Department.
***
So, I resumed my position as a medic in the Austin Army.
However, rather than being assigned a management position like a platoon leader, I was treated as a regular medic.
With sufficient personnel now in the medical department, there was no need to place a young girl like me in a management position.
This was due to Verdi's kindness.
He was being considerate and didn't want to burden me with any unnecessary hardships.
Since there's no easy way to lower a rank without a reason, he decided to treat my rank as a Medical Warrant Officer as a temporary wartime appointment, and would adjust it to a more fitting rank after the procedures were complete.
A wartime appointment is essentially a system where ranks are temporarily elevated during war due to a shortage of personnel.
If you achieve notable results, the rank is often recognized even after the war However, the rank of Medical Warrant Officer given to me was a bit too high.
After the procedures, it would be settled to the position of Medical Sergeant.
Of course, I had no complaints about this demotion. In fact, I felt it might still be a bit high.
I'm just a rookie medic in my second year of service.
Unnecessary status might create friction and can negatively impact relationships.
It doesn't feel good to make those with lower rank speak politely to me.
So I actively requested to be treated as just a young medic.
"Well, even if demoted, Little Boss is still ranked higher than me."
"I guess it's just a matter of the length of our military service, so please forgive me."
"No, I have no complaints. You've been my superior officer for a long time. I'm counting on you in the future, Little Boss."
And so, I prepared to spend the upcoming tragic invasion battle in the rear as a medic.
I would be stationed at the very back of the Austin Army, spending the rest of the war without engaging in the killing.
…All while averting my eyes from the tragedy that will unfold at our hands.
***
"Warrant Officer Touri, a message from Major Verdi has arrived."
"Yes, thank you for your hard work."
That evening.
Just as I had heard, I received a message from Verdi.
To my surprise, the messenger was a young woman around my age.
"A female soldier?"
"I heard that you are a woman, so I was chosen as the messenger."
"I see."
I thought I had seen something unusual, but female soldiers are not so uncommon these days.
Due to a shortage of personnel, conscription now includes both men and women. As a result, frontline combat is assigned to men, while support roles like communications are often filled by women.
"This is your request to be reinstated, and this is the request that your account be unfrozen following your death in the line of duty, and these are the documents concerning your rank—"
The female communications officer explained the documents to me efficiently.
Although she looks to be the same age as me, she gives the impression of being very mature.
"Do you have any questions about the documents?"
"No, thank you for the clear explanation."
"That's good to hear."
There's quite a lot of paperwork. Verdi told me to finish it quickly, so I should get started today.
"Is that all for the requirements?"
"No, finally, please accept this. It is your personal item that Major Verdi had been keeping."
"My personal item? …This is!"
Finally, the communications officer handed me a wooden box.
I was told that it was a memento of a deceased loved one, so I thought maybe it was a dog tag or something similar, but…
"…A fox doll."
It was the present given to me by the late Rodri – a fox doll that he had bought at Marshdale.
"It's a bit creepy, isn't it?"
"Yes, it's my treasure."
I was quite concerned about losing this doll when I was sent to the Sabbath after the Battle of the North.
I had thought it was lost in the flames of war, but…
I never imagined that Verdi would actually collect it.
"Please convey my gratitude to Major Verdi… Tell him that I am truly happy from the bottom of my heart."
"Understood."
I forgot myself and embraced the doll, shedding silent tears.
I remember the day when I felt like I was about to give up, he told me, "Hug this doll and sleep."
This doll is filled with memories of Rodri, who was foul-mouthed and blunt, but caring towards his friends.
"…You seem to be rather attached to it."
"Indeed."
The female communications officer looked at me with a puzzled expression as I suddenly hugged the doll.
…That wasn't something I should do in front of other people.
"Thank you for delivering my treasure."
"No, it's part of my duty."
I thanked the communications officer, trying to cover up my emotions.
She remained expressionless, staring at me without moving a muscle.
"Um, excuse me…"
"Is there something else?"
"I'd like to hear your thoughts on something."
A question suddenly came to mind.
This communications officer looks very young.
She probably had just been conscripted and is a new recruit.
"I heard we are going to attack Flamel and target civilian homes."
"Yes, I've heard the same."
"…How do you feel about that?"
How does she feel about attacking enemy civilians?
Does she harbor any disgust towards the Austin Army?
I wanted to ask her that.
Perhaps my experiences in Josegrad left me with a trauma related to acts of massacre.
"How do I feel?"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure what you mean, but if I had to answer—"
I thought that she, being just a civilian, might give me the answer I was seeking.
I felt like she could sympathize with the cruelty of killing non-combatants.
"It would be excitement that the time has finally come."
The young soldier smiled at my question, the corners of her mouth curling up with pleasure.
"It's been a year since they began their invasion. Finally, we can teach them a lesson."
"…"
"Laughing, mocking, like playing musical instruments. I still can't forget the scene of the Flamer soldiers tormenting and killing my family. I want the soldiers to make Flamel people suffer a hundredfold for that humiliation, for the suffering my family endured, and to kill them as cruelly as possible."
This was the answer she gave me.
And this was the feeling most Austin soldiers had.
Austin soldiers who had been attacked had no hesitation in massacring enemy civilians.
"I see…"
"Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Well, yes."
Both the government's judgment and the soldiers' feelings were unified in the direction of massacring all of Flamel.
It was I who was an outlier, thinking that massacres were wrong.
"Thank you, that is, communications officer."
"Yes, thank you. Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself."
This was the standard feeling among the current Austinites.
After all of Flamel's rampaging, there's no way they would accept a ceasefire when victory became imminent.
"My name is Lenalee. I will come again if there is a message from Major Verdi."
"Oh, yes, thank you. I look forward to working with you again in the future, Lenalee."
Although I was disappointed with her answer, I didn't show it and just thanked the communications officer.
She returned to her expressionless demeanor and saluted me.
"Well then, that's it for me."
At that moment, I felt a jolt.
I realized something and my heartbeat quickened.
"W-Wait a moment, Lenalee."
"Is there something else?"
I found myself calling out to the young woman.
I felt like I'd seen that intense expression, murderous intent burning in his eyes before.
The high level of aggression that she openly expressed joy in when it came to killing the enemy.
And the kindness hidden behind the passion that hated to see loved ones hurt─
"…Hey, may I ask your full name?"
"Mine?"
It was really just a feeling.
But it felt like something I absolutely needed to ask.
I grabbed the girl's shoulder and asked her name once again.
"Lenalee Lowe."
As she turned around, her eyes…
"I am Private Second Class Lenalee Lowe. Please remember me from now on."
Were identical to Rodri's from the Western Front.